


a vicious case of hair pulling

by helsinkibaby



Category: NCIS
Genre: Community: 1-million-words, F/M, Fluff, Het, Romance, adventures in babysitting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-28
Updated: 2018-05-28
Packaged: 2019-05-15 00:10:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 871
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14779901
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/helsinkibaby/pseuds/helsinkibaby
Summary: When Ellie and Nick babysit Morgan McGee, Nick has to use his charm to save Ellie.





	a vicious case of hair pulling

**Author's Note:**

> For the one million words weekend challenge, girl detectives version.  
> This is an awesome Nancy Drew quote: “Spend time at the gym to build upper body strength. Detective work may require fending off a vicious hair pulling."

“So this is what it comes down to.” Nick doesn’t even try to keep the amusement out of his voice. “Months of training at FLETC, self defence classes, spend time at the gym to build upper body strength... and you’re laid low by a vicious case of hair pulling.” 

Ellie shoots him a look that lets him know he’s going to pay for that crack later on. “Are you going to make fun of me or are you going to help?” 

Nick turns his gaze back to the two teams currently on the field in the annual NCIS softball tournament, but only for a moment. “I can’t do both?” he asks as he turns back towards her. He doesn’t even try to dislodge Morgan’s grip from Ellie’s hair, he’s held the kid enough times to know that for someone barely eight months old, her grip is nothing short of ferocious. Instead, he reaches out and tickles her belly. Which is something he knows she loves and the peals of giggles that result bear that out. She also flings her hands up high in the air to grant him better access - the kid’s clever, this is not her first rodeo and she knows what’s up - thus letting go of Ellie’s hair and giving Nick the chance to scoop her up, settle her into his own lap and proceed to tickle her some more. 

Ellie’s sigh of relief is barely audible over the laughter but he hears her, “Thank you,” loud and clear. 

“No problem.” He turns Morgan around so that her back is against his chest and she can see the game. She seems to like sports better than her dad if the way her little arms and legs wave and kick is any indication. He keeps his voice low in case anyone might overhear and leans a little closer to Ellie to say, “I thought you liked having your hair pulled. Or is it just when I do it?” 

Ellie’s not good at the stealth thing, apparently, because her head snaps around to him and her eyes are big and wide and there’s no way anyone looking at them wouldn’t guess that he’s just said something exactly along the lines of what he’s just said. Her reaction makes him chuckle and he might think he’s in trouble if she didn’t press her lips together to keep back a smile, if her narrowed eyes weren’t dancing with amusement. “Please don’t say things like that around the baby,” she tells him and he doesn’t mean it to, honestly he doesn’t, but his brain shoots further down a line, a couple of years from now, pictures him and Ellie sitting right here watching the game, but there are rings on her finger and his and the little girl he’s holding is theirs, all big brown eyes and dark curly hair and her mom’s way of wrapping him around her little finger. The surge of want, of longing, that sweeps over him is almost enough to knock him over and it certainly makes him catch his breath. Ellie doesn’t appear to notice any of that though, continues on with, “If McGee hears you talk like that, he’s going to complain you’ve scarred her for life.” 

Nick snorts, files away the image for future contemplation. “The smell that was coming from Johnny’s diaper, I think he’s going to be a while.” Ellie doesn’t disagree, wrinkles her nose as she reaches out for Morgan’s hand, sweeps her hair to the opposite side with her other hand. His lips twitch but he knows better than to say anything - impulsive he may be, stupid he is not. “But if it makes you feel better, I’ll watch what I say.” He sees her shoulders relax, waits until she’s turned back to the game before he adds, “But once we get home...”

Maybe she was expecting that because her head doesn’t turn, even if her lips curl up in a small smile that could easily be blamed on what she sees on the field. The shiver that runs the length of her body is so slight as to be almost imperceptible but he sees it well enough, is hard pressed to hide his own smile. He knows she likes it when he teases her like that, even if it’s probably not the best idea when there are so many people from work around them. Something about the danger, he thinks, the risk of being found out and it’s never a surprise to him that he likes that but he’s always surprised to find that she does. 

“Promises, promises,” she murmurs and her hand falls from Morgan’s arm for a moment, ghosts down along his arm and leg and it’s his turn to shiver. She doesn’t miss that any more than he missed hers and the curl to her lips turns wicked. 

He hides his smile in Morgan’s hair, giving the girl another tickle and making her squeal with delight and he tries to pretend he’s not counting down the hours until he can get Ellie home and make good on that promise. 

He’s pretty sure Ellie sees right through him but that’s fine. The anticipation is part of the fun anyway.


End file.
